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Greetings dovahkiin! This project was inspired by my old roomie’s Skyrim quest marker she created for her bedroom door. I’ll go ahead and admit this project did not go as smoothly as I originally envisioned. Thanks to my mistakes, I can tell you what not to do! The best thing about this project is that it only took one evening to create. Let’s start with gathering your supplies.

Supplies:

a doormat (it should be a solid color with no designs)

black & white acrylic paint

a small paintbrush

a sponge brush

a printer

paper

xacto knife

cutting board

painter's tape

fabric medium (if you intend for this to be an indoor rug)

I made the mistake of trying to use spray paint, so please disregard the can of it on the above photo. The biggest downside to using spray paint instead of acrylic is that you will get fuzzier edge and it doesn’t absorb into the rug's fibers as well.

The Steps:

Step 1: Print out your quest markers. I used this one. You’ll need to print out 2 copies (one will be used as a stencil for the black paint and the other will be for the white paint.) Next you’ll need to carefully use a xacto knife to cut away the entire shape on stencil #1 and cut away all of the white on stencil #2.*If you want this to be an indoor rug I suggest mixing your paint with fabric medium so you'll be able to wash your doormat if it gets too dirty.

Step 2: Carefully center stencil #1 in the middle of your rug and tape it down with painters tape. Once you’ve gotten the stencil placed correctly, you’ll paint a thin layer of black paint by dabbing with the sponge brush. When the entire shape is painted in you’ll want to let it dry for at least 2 hours ( just to be safe.)

Step 3: Remove stencil #1. You should have a nice clean, black quest marker shape now. Now you’ll tape down stencil #2. Take your time and try to line it up as perfectly as possible. After it’s been securely taped you’ll dab on the first white layer of paint. Wait another 2 hours or so for this to dry.

Step 4: Remove stencil #2. At this point your quest marker should be nearly complete. Go back over with a paint brush and touch up the paint so that the black and white are fully saturated in the rug. Wait a few more hours for your final layer of paint to dry and your project is complete.*If you’re worried that your new Skyrim welcome mat will be ruined by the rain or general wear-n-tear I recommend spraying a layer or two of matte acrylic sealer.

Congratulations on completing your quest! Now set that nifty project outside of your front door to guide your visitors to their destination. Give yourself +10 XP for a job well done.